Cap for container having beaded neck opening



Sept. 7, 1965 H. E. SWITZGABLE, JR 3,204,801

CAP FOR CONTAINER HAVING BEADED NECK OPENING Filed March 13, 1963 IN VENTOR.

United States Patent F 3,204,801 CAP FOR CONTAINER HAVING BEADED NECK OPENING Harold E. Switzgable, Jr., 21 Adams Drive, Princeton, NJ. Filed Mar. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 264,801 4 Claims. (Cl. 215-95) This invention relates to caps or closures for containers such as glass bottles or metal or plastic cans which have a beaded neck opening. Such containers are extensively employed for beer and carbonated beverages.

The closure for a container of beer or carbonated beverage must tightly seal the contents against the accidental escape of dissolved gases which exert a pressure on the container. The bottle and can caps in widespread use are made of relatively thick sheet metal and are securely crimped over the head on the neck opening of the container. Such caps cannot be removed with the bare hands but must be removed with the aid of a can opener. Even when an appropriate tool is at hand, the removal of a cap is awkward and often results in spillage of the contents.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved bottle or can cap which is easily removed by hand without the need for a can opener or other tool.

It is another object to provide an improved bottle or can cap which is economical to manufacture by virtue of employing less sheet metal than prior art caps, the saving resulting from the use of a smaller area of sheet metal, having a lesser thickness, and having a shape which results in a negligible amount of sheet metal scrap.

Briefly, in accordance with an example of the invention, a closure cap is constructed of a resilient plastic stopper fiting snugly into the neck opening of the container and having a peripheral portion fitting around the outside edge of the beaded neck opening. A metal band is wrapped tightly around the peripheral portion of the stopper. The bottom edge of the metal band is crimped to engage the container neck below the bead, and the upper edge is crimped to engage the top of the peripheral portion of the stopper. The metal band is wrapped around the stopper with an overlapping outside end serving as a tab which may be grasped by ones fingers and pulled to unwrap the band and thereby release the stopper.

These and other objects and aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a bottle or can cap constructed according to the teachings of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 in FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view showing the outline shape of a sheet metal blank which, after forming, constitutes a retaining band of the container cap of FIGURES 1 through 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary part of one end of the blank of FIGURE 4 which will be referred to in describing the forming of locking teeth on the band.

Reference is now made in greater detail to the drawing. A stopper is constructed of an impervious resilient material such as a plastic. A polyethylene plastic is suitable. The stopper 10 has a central depending portion 12 which fits snugly into the neck opening of a bottle or metal container 14 to make a pressure tight 3,204,801 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 seal against the inner side walls of the neck. The stopper 10 also has an integral peripheral portion 16 which extends over the top of the head 18 of the neck opening and depends as a skirt around the outside edge of the head 18.

In addition to the plastic stopper 10, the cap includes a formed sheet metal band 20 wrapped tightly around the peripheral skirt portion of the stopper. The sheet metal band 20 has an inner end 22, and an overlapping outer end 24 which extends as a tab 26 for use in manually unwrapping the band 20.

The metal band 20 has a notched or toothed lower edge 28 which is crimped to engage the container neck below the bead 18, and has a notched or toothed upper edge 30 which is crimped to engage the top of the peripheral portion 16 of the resilient stopper 10. The crimped lower and upper edges 28, 30 of the band 20 cause the stopper 10 to be held securely seated in place against upward movement from the neck of the container. The lower edge 28 of the metal band 20 may be folded back on itself, or beaded, or otherwise formed to increase its strength. The gas-tight seal formed by the surface of the stopper 10 bearing against the inner wall of the bottle neck is augmented by seals formed by the peripheral portion 16 of the stopper 10 bearing against the upper and outside surfaces of the bottle bead 18 as the result of downward and radially-inward pressures imparted by the metal band 20.

The construction of the metal band 20 whereby the band is securely wrapped around the stopper 10, and is not subject to being accidentally unwrapped, will now be described. As shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, the first tooth 32 on the upper edge 30 at the end 22 of the metal band 20 is triangular in shape. The other teeth have enlarged side portions 34 (FIGURE 6) which are formed at right angles along dotted lines 36 to form cleats 38. The forming of cleats 38 serves, inter alia, to greatly strengthen the teeth of which they are a part.

The cleats 38 all along the upper edge of the band 20 are pressed and imbedded into the top of the resilient plastic stopper 10. The cleats thus prevent the unwinding of the metal band. Unwanted or accidental unwinding of the metal band is additionally accomplished by the locking action of cleats 38 on the outer end tooth 40 which surround the smaller inner end tooth 32, as shown in FIGURE 1. The overlapping portions of the metal band 20 are thus prevented from slipping in opposite circumferential directions, which would result in an unraveling or unwinding of the metal band. A still further feature of the metal band which prevents accidental unwinding is an extension 42 on the lower edge 28 at the inner end 22 of the band which is formed out and up around the outer overlapping portion 24 of the metal band. The formed extension 42 performs a clamping action which prevents slippage of the overlapping portions of the metal band.

The edges of the tab 26 may be rolled over along the dotted lines 48 (FIGURE 4) so that the tab does not present any sharp edges when grasped by a persons fingers.

When it is desired to manually remove the cap from the bottle 14, the tab 26 is grasped by a persons fingers and pulled away from the bottle. The tab is then pulled upwardly so that the outside end 24 of the metal band 20 is raised out of the extension clamp 42 on the inside end of the metal band. Thereafter, the band is unwound from around the stopper 10 releasing the stopper from the bottle opening. The operation which has been described in many words is actually accomplished by grasping the tab and making a simple twist of the wrist.

An alternative method of securing the overlapping portions of the metal band 20 against slippage is by soldering or spot welding, or by soldering or spot welding in combination with one or more of the described anti-slippage features. The solder joint or spot weld should not be so strong as to unduly hinder the intentional unwrapping of the metal band. a

Yet another alternative method of securing the overlapping portions of the metal band is by the use of a suitable adhesive or cement between the overlapping portions, or by the use of an adhesive in combination with one or more of the other described features.

It is apparent that according to this invention there is provided a container cap or closure which is economical in the materials required for its construction and which is easily removed from the container without the need for an opener tool.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure for a container having a beaded neck opening, comprising a resilient stopper having a central portion fitting snugly and deeply enough into the neck opening to form a seal therein and having a peripheral portion fitting around the outside edge of the beaded neck opening, and a metal band wrapped tightly around the peripheral portion of the stopper, said band having a bottom edge crimped to engage the container neck below the bead and having an upper edge provided with teeth which are crimped into imbedded engagement with the top of the peripheral portion of said resilient stopper.

2. A closure for a container having a beaded neck opening, comprising a resilient stopper having a central portion fitting snugly into the neck opening and having a peripheral portion fitting around the outside edge of the beaded neck opening, and a metal band wrapped tightly around the peripheral portion of the stopper, said band having a bottom edge crimped to engage the container neck below the bead and having an upper edge provided with teeth having cleats which are crimped into imbedded engagements with the top of the peripheral portion of said stopper, said band being wrapped with overlapping ends, a cleated tooth on one of the overlapping portions interlocked with a tooth onthe other overlapping portion to prevent accidental unwrapping.

3. A closure for a container having a beaded neck opening, comprising a resilient stopper having a central portion fitting snugly into the neck opening and having a peripheral portion fitting around the outside edge of the beaded neck opening, and a metal band wrapped tightly around the peripheral portion of the stopper, said band having a bottom edge crimped to engage the container neck below the bead and having an upper edge notched to define teeth which are crimped to engage the top of the peripheral portion of said stopper, said band being wrapped with overlapping ends, a tooth on one of the overlapping portions having formed cleats to engage a tooth on the other overlapping portion to prevent accidental unwrapping, the free end of the outer overlapping portion extending as a tab for unwrapping the band and releasing the stopper.

4. A readily releasable closure for a container having a beaded neck opening, comprising a resilient plastic stopper having a central portion fitting snugly and deeply into the neck opening of the container to form a seal therein and having a peripheral portion fitting around the,

outside edge of the beaded neck opening, and a metal band wrapped tightly around the peripheral portion of the stopper, said band having a notched bottom edge crimped to engage the container neck below the bead and having a notched upper edge crimped into imbedded engagement with the top of the peripheral portion of said resilient stopper, said band being wrapped with overlapping ends, the notched and crimped upper edges of the overlapping portions having a cleated tooth on one portion interlocked with a tooth on the other portion to prevent accidental unwrapping, the lower edge at solely the end of the inner one of the overlapping portions having an extension formed out and up around the outer end of the overlapping portions, the free end of the outer overlapping portion extending as a tab for unwrapping the band and releasing the stopper,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 509,834 11/93 Weissenthanner 215- 743,494 11/03 Haim 21595.34 1,430,685 10/22 Sampson. 1,848,773 3/32 Fison 21595.134 2,015,846 10/35 Falthauser 215-95 2,151,689 3/39 Colby 215-95 72,963,189 12/60 Tourre et al. 21595 FOREIGN PATENTS 200,456 7/23 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

WESLEY S. COLE, FRANKLIN T. GARRETT,

. Examiners. 

1. A CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER HAVING A BEADED NECK OPENING, COMPRISING A RESILIENT STOPPER HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION FITTING SNUGLY AND DEEPLY ENOUGH INTO THE NECK OPENING TO FORM A SEAL THEREIN AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL PORTION FITTING AROUND THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE BEADED NECK OPENING, AND A METAL BAND WRAPPED TIGHTLY AROUND THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE STOPPER, SAID BAND HAVING A BOTTOM EDGE CRIMPED TO ENGAGE THE CONTAINER NECK BELOW THE BEAD AND HAVING AN UPPER EDGE PROVIDED WITH TEETH WHICH ARE CRIMPED INTO IMBEDDED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TOP OF THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID RESILIENT STOPPER. 